PART 3 : PROLOGUE

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Fire, the dragon thought, is by far the most powerful weapon of them all

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Fire, the dragon thought, is by far the most powerful weapon of them all. 

Oppressive plumes of smoke dominate the skies as the air, and everything within it, begins to burn. His eyes began to glow as he thought about the destruction he was soon to cause, the pale moon glistening against his scales as he flew across the dark curtain of night. The flames, he continued to think, devours everything in its path, and a rush of exhilaration runs through the demented dragon's body when he hears the echoes of screams begin to pierce through the night. He always felt saddened when the flames would become nothing more than the smoldering ashes of his victims, his great victories turning into nothing more than remnants of souls he aimed to destroy. He never felt satisfied when the fire was out.

This was different. His anger festered inside of him, turning the internal furnace into an effervescent fire that blistered and blazed within. The dwarves and their barrel-riding friend had kicked him out of his home, robbed him of the treasure that was rightfully his. He was determined to make sure that Laketown burned for many days.

He descended upon the town like a dark cloud in the night, giving them a single warning roar before he unleashed his fury upon the innocent people below. Men, women, and children were trapped on a floating tinder box that he had just ignited. 

The fire sat between the houses on the lake, slowly beginning to lick every wooden board and post that the town was built upon. It was playful at first, almost gentle, but quickly, as Smaug circled around in the sky and came back down a second time, releasing another dreadful, flame-filled roar, the fire lost its reserve and blazed to life, engulfing houses and devouring anyone inside of them. Like a great hungry serpent, it annihilated all in its path and belched black smoke back into the sky.

The great dragon circled again and again, determined to set the entire lake ablaze. He wanted to hear the screams of pain and despair, wanted to feel the heat emanate on his skin and scales as he watched the lake burn. He wanted to make sure the dwarves knew that they could never defeat him so easily. He knew that the so called "king" under the mountain had to be watching upon his throne, and Smaug hoped he knew that these people were dying because of him. 

His reign of terror continued as he swooped and dived back towards the shining water, and he noticed that a great many people were attempting to escape in boats. How dare they flee instead of sticking around to witness his magnificence, he thought. He flew low and kept his talons out, letting his claws dig at the taller buildings and sending debris flying towards the people on the water below.

He felt a minuscule tap, of something hitting against him which turned his attention away for the moment. Up on the bell tower, he could make out the shadow of a man and a smaller boy, a bow held in the man's hand. Smaug chuckled to himself, thinking, as if your puny arrows could pierce me.

He began to crawl menacingly towards them. His great wings held out, his sharp claws ripping apart roofs and houses as he walked across them. Then, he jumped into the air and let himself soar low, sweeping his talons across the top of the bell tower and ripping it off before throwing it away into the rest of the destruction below him. The great dragon turned in time to see the man stagger to his feet and pull up his boy with his hand. Smaug lost his amused expression and his face turned to one in annoyance. He flew above to stand before them, and he stood tall. He could hear the master of the town below him shouting commands in fear and he wanted so badly to take his attention off of the bowman for just a moment, to sweep his fire down on the idiot below, but he did not.

"Who are you that would stand against me?" he hissed, his eyes glowing red with anger. The bowman did not reply, but took up his bow instead, only to find that it had been snapped in half. A terrible sound came out of the dragon then, an evil grumble of laughter like no other.

"Now that is a pity," he mocked, "What will you do now, bowman? You are forsaken. No help will come." 

 He enjoyed taunting his prey, and he knew how to get under the skin. "Is that your child?" the dragon hissed again, eyes glowing at the boy on the bell tower, seemingly licking his lips as hunger overcame him. It was a hunger for death, for pain, for destruction. "You cannot save him. He will burn!" Smaug roared.

The boy stood with his back to him, and the man placed a large arrow on his shoulder. He did not like that the boy had his back turned, as he should be bowing before him instead.

"Tell me, wretch, how now shall you challenge me?" he continued to play, but his patience was wearing thin. The dragon Smaug watched as the bowman smiled to himself and a glimmer of fear ripped through the dragon's cold heart.

He stood tall, overcome with confusion and rage. "You have nothing left but your death!" He let out a terrible roar and began to stalk towards them with determination. He stood and let his wings unfold and took to the sky, floating only a fraction above the buildings when the bowman released his arrow. The black arrow shot through the night like a star, a reflection of the orange glow below it illuminating its shape right before it flew into the hole of the only missing scale on the dragon's body, lodging itself deep within his heart.

He let out a terrible scream of pain and his body crashed into the bell tower. A most agonizing sting rippled through his whole body and he needed to get away. As if he was suffocating, he leapt into the sky and reached upwards, his body twisting and contorting in pain as he screamed and moaned. He clawed at the night sky like it could somehow save him. He saw, as the flame inside him began to fade, the charred bodies of the people he conquered piled below him, the ghosts of an empire he failed to build, and as the light left his eyes and the screaming stopped and his body went limp so high up in the air, the last breath of the kingdom he sought to build faded into the night sky and disappeared forever.

His body hung for only a moment, as though held by a god, before it fell back towards the ground, and the monstrosity who claimed to be a king fell into the burning water below him. 









wowowow we're back 

did you miss me? :) 

I hope you enjoyed! I had a lot of fun writing this perspective actually. 

what did you think? 

Are you ready for BOTFA? 


Vote & comment, thank you for all of the support I've been receiving despite me not writing since november. You guys are amazing! 

all the love

em

The Ranger ➵ Kili DurinWhere stories live. Discover now